Denis Villeneuve to direct next James Bond movie

By Jack Guy, CNN

(CNN) — Denis Villeneuve, whose films have won several Oscars, will direct the next movie in the James Bond franchise, Amazon MGM Studios has announced.

Villeneuve, a French-Canadian filmmaker best known for his work on “Blade Runner 2049,” “Arrival” and the “Dune” movies, will work with executive producer Tanya Lapointe and producers Amy Pascal and David Heyman.

“Some of my earliest movie-going memories are connected to 007. I grew up watching James Bond films with my father, ever since Dr. No with Sean Connery. I’m a die-hard Bond fan. To me, he’s sacred territory,” said Villeneuve in a statement released by Amazon MGM Studios Wednesday.

“I intend to honor the tradition and open the path for many new missions to come. This is a massive responsibility, but also, incredibly exciting for me and a huge honor,” he added.

Villeneuve’s most recent film, “Dune: Part Two,” was widely acclaimed when it was released last year and he now has an opportunity to bring those talents to a storied franchise.

“We are honored that Denis has agreed to direct James Bond’s next chapter. He is a cinematic master, whose filmography speaks for itself,” said Mike Hopkins, head of Prime Video and Amazon MGM Studios, in the statement.

“James Bond is in the hands of one of today’s greatest filmmakers and we cannot wait to get started on 007’s next adventure,” he added.

Amazon MGM Studios took over the Bond franchise in February.

Under the deal, Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli – the duo who brought the 007 films to theaters for more than 60 years – remain co-owners, having formed a new joint venture with Amazon MGM that handed over the creative reins and control of all future production to the Jeff Bezos-founded company.

Amazon bought MGM in 2022 for $8.25 billion, acquiring the Hollywood studio’s catalog of 4,000 movies and 17,000-plus TV shows. As part of the deal, Amazon gained possession of the rights to distribute all 27 of the movies based on Ian Fleming’s books.

MGM’s Bond films are the studio’s most lucrative intellectual property, having brought in billions since first releasing “Dr. No” in 1962.

The latest installment of the spy franchise, “No Time to Die,” raked in more than $770 million at the global box office, making it the fourth-highest grossing film of 2021.

Villeneuve and Amazon MGM Studios will now have to choose a new actor for the titular role, as Daniel Craig announced that “No Time to Die” would be his last Bond movie.

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CNN’s Liam Reilly contributed to this report.